Cathie Wiener Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 (edited) Wow - what a childish person that instructor must have been. Can you imagine. That's got to be something you won't forget - having a guy you're supposed to trust go off like that. Hope they got rid of the jerk. Luckily, this guy was politely "asked to leave" about half way through Big Tour in 94. That year we were playing the music of Matrix and some of the old band members actually came out to see our practice and run-thru somewhere in the Midwest?! It was a huge honor and everyone was really excited. On the day of the band's visit, the instructor didn't get to the rehearsal until right before our run-thru because he had just joined up with us again after an absence of a week or so. During the run-thru this fool starts making negative comments about how the kids are playing, how the original music was crap to begin with and the guard girls don't know what the hell they're doing, etc., etc. WHILE THE MATRIX BAND MEMBERS ARE STANDING RIGHT NEXT TO HIM! Awesome representation of the corps, right? I guess our corps director smoothed it over with the band members and whatnot, but that day the instructor was politely asked to leave the organization. After that incident (and they had been piling up pretty high) I think the corps director knew he'd have a mutiny on his hands if something wasn't done about this guy quickly. Unfortunately, as he was heading to the car that was taking him to the airport he made some nasty comments right in front of us guard girls while we were warming up. He made sure to let the guard know that the judges "think you're all big fat no-talent cows" and stuff like that. Back at 9 to 9s when we were learning or cleaning drill, he used to take a stick and "gently tap" <- his description, "heartily whack" <- our description, the backs of the heels of the horns and battery at the holds and WHILE MARCHING to get them to pay attention to their position in the arc, block, line, whatever. Sadly, there are many more sad stories regarding this inept fool, but I think you get the point. As you can tell, I still despise the man. On a different note, I remembered another tough time for some of our corps members. This didn't happen to me (Thank God!), but in 1992 at Weber State University in Ogden the colorguard was walking to the field to meet the corps to go on for the show and as we got to the front of the line we smelled something completely horrible and our nose and eyes started burning just a bit. When we get done with our performance we found out that just before we got there, the "tug" the pit used to bring its equipment on the field exploded... literally. Apparently the tug's battery just blew up in the middle of the pit members including DIRECTLY IN THE FACE OF TWO OF THEM. Luckily, there's a restroom right next to that entrance and someone was fast thinking enough to get those members to the water fountains immediately and flush their faces and eyes. During this time, the corps that was exiting the field loaned us their tug to get the equipment on and the staff set it up. Those pit members played the entire show with acid and whatever else was left on their face and in their eyes. Immediately after the show, the pit members were taken directly to the hospital. Thanks to the quick action of the person that got them to flush their eyes out, there was no permanent damage, however the two girls closest to the battery when it exploded did have to wear eye patches for about 4 or 5 more days. First off, I can't imagine being in that much pain, but then to have the inconvenience of just starting Big Tour and you can't see anything. Of course, we went to a new housing site right after the show and the poor pit girls were at the mercy of whoever they could find to help. As we all know, the pit hardly ever practices near any of the other sections so those girls were isolated from most people that could help them. Basically they were screwed. Those poor girls. Edited July 26, 2007 by Cathie Wiener Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
^Michael^ Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 Looking back - this wasn't really that big of a deal, but at the time it was very scary. In 1982, I was driving the equipment semi for Memphis Blues Brass Band in Bloomington, IN. We were headed from our housing site to an afternoon of rehearsal in the University of Indiana stadium. On the way, there was a low bridge over the road and the buses pulled carefully under it to make sure that there was enough clearance. The lead bus radioed back to me that there was plenty of clearance, come on through. Well, I slowed down to a safe speed, but trusting the bus driver (who drove a semi for a living in "real life"), I started under the bridge. Well - you know what happened next - CRUNCH! The trailer stuck hard under the bridege and it took several attempts before I was able to get it unstuck by backing it out. Traffic was snarled and then I had to back the semi for three blocks before I could find a side street to turn off on! I sheepishly found a fire station and went in to get directions to the stadium via an alternate route with no overhead bridges! To this day, I turn red with embarrassment every time I think about that incident! Fortunately, there was no damage to the trailer, even though it seemed like it was stuck badly under the bridge. I learned a lesson that day though - always honor the clearance signs and don't trust the buses (they were 6 inches lower than my truck - 12'6" vs. 13'0"!) :sshh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickCogley Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 Luckily, this guy was politely "asked to leave" about half way through Big Tour in 94. ... As you can tell, I still despise the man. ... Apparently the tug's battery just blew up in the middle of the pit members including DIRECTLY IN THE FACE OF TWO OF THEM. ... Glad to hear it and woooowwwwww! What a huge bummer that must have been - the poor things. --Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrownSoprano2000 Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 Shin splints in Clover, SC in 2000. Nervous breakdown in Allentown and Hilton Head. The shin splints were far worse than anything though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skajerk Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 Surprised there haven't been more stories surrounding the '83 venue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raphael144 Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 wow....that was one of my favorite shows....and the corp put on a superb energetic performance. I am surprised to hear that staff members would be that way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raphael144 Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 Wow...sorry to hear that was such a rough season...I really loved that show and the corp did a great job putting on an emotional experience! For me personally, I have to say the entire 1987 season for Sky Ryders was my single toughest drum corps experience. With the never ending bus problems (we called it "Hell Tour 87"), missing so much rehearsal time, missing shows, being impounded in Boulder Colorado for almost a week because our busses were unsafe to be on the road, having a brass caption head who's idea of leadership was to beat you down and then cut you out of chunks of the show... If it hadn't been for our fantastic color guard, Marc Sylvester's drill and Program Coordinator Tommy Keenum's love for us all and his ability to make us believe in ourselves, our show and the message behind West Side Story - we would have certainly never had a snowball's chance in Hades of making top 12 that year . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raphael144 Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 In 1999 Pacific Crest only did a 1/2 tour... our season ended after the "big boys" left town. Naturally, that was right about when second tour started for the rest of DCI. There were several of us that went to fill holes that year at various corps - Troopers and Bluecoats. Myself and a fellow PC mello went to the Blue Knights. Well - we spent a while in Denver learning the show - I saw some sheet music for a while, but had to give it back. No one really ever had it with them because they already had it memorized by then. Never saw any drill. Learned most of the music by rote and by having the rest of the section give me my dots or make them up by splitting the interval. Had to pick up on that ever-so-distinctive marching style VERY quickly. That and I had never done a jazz run in my life until then. Oh and my asthma HATED the Denver air for the first week. Not to mention there were some food and/or volunteer shortages on the food truck that year that made me really appreciate PC. Toughest 1/2 summer that I've ever been through. My fellow PC mello had to go home in Texas because of family problems. That summer was also really rewarding though. Not much can top standing outside the gates of a filled Camp Randall stadium under the lights on Finals night and playing one of the more perfect performances of my life. That's a great story! I love those moments at the gate right before going on the field, somehow they always made me start examining my life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raphael144 Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 just finish the story.that's so lame when people say "here's the background to a story...... oh forget it." don't click submit with half a post. Tour from hell guard instructor....pray continue....inquiring minds want to know. ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleu Raeder Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 (edited) Imagine the early 70's....no such thing as sun screen and we found out that Off (the cans with the orange colored tops) could remove paint. Rehearsing in New Orleans and other choice spots along the Gulf Coast, the humidity, the heat (we even rehearsed in a mall parking lot on Sundays when malls used to be closed on Sundays), and the two mosquitos that we nearly recruited to play marching tymps. Edited July 25, 2007 by Bleu Raeder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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